CVE-2015-7457 in WebSphere Portal
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in IBM WebSphere Portal 8.0.x before 8.0.0.1 CF20 and 8.5.x before 8.5.0.0 CF09 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/01/2019
The CVE-2015-7457 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in IBM WebSphere Portal software versions 8.0.x prior to 8.0.0.1 CF20 and 8.5.x prior to 8.5.0.0 CF09. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting and operates as a client-side code injection attack that exploits the portal's failure to properly sanitize user input in URL parameters. The vulnerability specifically targets the web application's handling of crafted URLs that contain malicious script payloads, allowing remote attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious URL containing script code that gets processed by the WebSphere Portal application without adequate input validation or output encoding. When a victim clicks on such a malicious link, the injected script executes in the victim's browser within the trusted context of the portal domain, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further exploitation of the victim's privileges. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it leverages the portal's legitimate functionality to deliver malicious payloads, making detection more challenging for security monitoring systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable sophisticated attack chains that align with ATT&CK tactics such as initial access through malicious links and privilege escalation via session manipulation. Attackers can use this vulnerability to steal user sessions, redirect victims to phishing sites, or even perform actions on behalf of authenticated users within the portal environment. The affected IBM WebSphere Portal versions represent a significant attack surface since these portals often serve as central access points for enterprise applications, making successful exploitation potentially devastating for organizations that rely on these systems for business-critical operations.
Organizations affected by CVE-2015-7457 should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security fixes and patches for both the 8.0.x and 8.5.x release lines. Additional protective measures should include implementing proper input validation for all URL parameters, enabling output encoding for dynamic content, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious script payloads. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of their portal environments and establish monitoring procedures to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and proper input sanitization practices as outlined in industry standards such as the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity guidelines for web application security.